The author effectively creates a 1960s Cold War backdrop for the Royal Air Force Test Flying Unit and the Avro Vulcan bombers. He effectively set up the premise and the characters who were key to the plot, and I found myself quickly getting into the story.
Then almost halfway through the author did something completely unexpected, something I cannot reveal because it would be a spoiler… but it was brilliant, and I was hooked and raced to finish the book. The ending also surprised me, and I loved it!
The author does a terrific job putting the reader in the middle of the action – whether up in the air inside a Vulcan bomber or on the ground tearing through the English countryside to secure life-and-death information. And in the predominantly male world of the RAF in the 1960s, I really appreciated the time he took with the female characters, especially Susie. I’d love to see her return in a future James Blatch book. Highly recommend this debut novel!